When One Door Closes
by golfer-girl-39
Summary: Hermione's life is changing. But she soon realizes that she needs to embrace the changes and accept her life even if it includes Draco Malfoy. DMHG maybe GWBZ
1. The Beginning

**a/n Okay, so I know this story line is probably really overdone, but I wanted to give it a try. Let me know what you think about it. Anyway here is the first chapter. It begins the journey of Hermione realizing that even though her life is changing, she needs to move on and look for open doors. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**

**The Beginning**

"_When one door closes, another one opens. But we often look so longingly and regretfully upon the closed door, that we miss the ones that open for us." Alexander Graham Bell. _

Hermione sighed as she looked in her mirror. All she saw was and average girl. Not fat, but not skinny. Not ugly, but not beautiful. Her hair was still a mess, though less bushy then last year. The only feature that she liked about herself was her eyes. She had creamy chocolate eyes and long curly lashes. Unfortunately, few people looked past the books and hair to notice her eyes. She also felt as if it was her personality that repelled her fellow students, especially the guys. To the other people, she was the know-it-all bookworm who was friends with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. All in all she really didn't have much self confidence.

She looked at her clock. It was 9:45. She had 15 minutes to get ready before she left for school. Her summer had been pretty uneventful. She was sad that Ron didn't invite her over to his house. She knew that Harry would be there. Hermione had spent her summer alone, reading books and doing her homework. She did have some fun, but she knew that there was something missing; she knew that she wanted something more. She waited for the letters that Harry and Ron sent her, but when they did arrive, somehow she felt worse. They were always relatively brief and had an air about them that suggested they didn't really want to be writing, but felt obligated to. One letter cause her much pain, though it wasn't what it said, it was what happened after she received the letter.

_Dear Hermione, _

_Well, everything here is good. You asked what was new; nothing really. Harry and I are having fun here, mainly playing quidditch. Congratulations on making Head Girl. We all knew that you could do it. Oh, and we can't meet you at Diagon Alley this weekend, we already went. Anyway, we are about to start a game of chess so I have to go. See you on the 1st. _

_-Ron_

It wasn't the fact that they went to diagon alley without her that hurt. It was when she decided to go the next day instead of waiting. She walked into the book store and noticed Harry and Ron picking up their school things. She was heading towards them to say hi when she saw Ginny walk up to them.

"Hey guys, where's Hermione?"

"Oh, when we asked if she could come she said she was busy."

"Okay, I guess I'll have to wait until next week to see her."

Hermione quietly walked away and went back home. She had finished her shopping another day, but was terribly depressed. After days of misery, she decided that she wasn't going to dwell on it. She would act like it didn't bother he and see if things changed. She would maybe let them explain themselves before she decided that she was angry with them.

She finished getting ready and walked downstairs and ate some breakfast, said bye to her parents and flooed to the burrow. When she got there she had about 5 seconds of taking in her surroundings before she was attacked by something with a mess of flaming red hair.

"Hermione!"

"Ow! Hi Ginny."

"Omg! I missed you! You have no idea what it is like to live in a house full of boys and having no one to talk to!"

"I'm sorry Ginny, I was really busy this summer."

"That's what Ron said when mum asked if you were coming over at all."

"That's what he said?"

"Yeah. Why? Is something wrong?"

"I've given them their chance." Hermione muttered.

"Hermione, what is going on?"

Hermione told Ginny about the weird letters she had gotten and how they went to Diagon Alley without her. Ginny was in shock. She couldn't believe that they would do something like that; Especially to Hermione, their best friend. Ginny was on Hermione's side and supported her anger. She said that Hermione had the right to be angry and that if it had been her she would have hexed them right then in the book store. It made Hermione happy that Ginny was being so supportive. She even said that she was going to talk to Harry and Ron on the train ride to school. Since Hermione had to be in the Head's compartment the whole time, she had an excuse to avoid them.

After Hermione and Ginny were done talking, it was time to leave. Harry and Ron came down the stairs. When they saw Hermione they glanced ever so slightly at each other before saying hello.

"Hey, Hermione. How was your summer?" asked Harry.

"Oh, you know the usual. Got a lot of reading done."

Ron said hello, but there was tension in his voice. He sounded uncomfortable; almost as if he really did not want Hermione to be there. His tone sounded like he didn't really want to talk to her, but felt obligated; much like the letters he wrote.

"So I hear that you have to ride in the Head's compartment the whole ride. Is that true?" asked Ron.

"Yeah, but it should be fun. I'll be able to talk to you guys at dinner though."

The expression on Ron's face looked relieved. Like he was happy that he didn't have to see her until dinner time. The tension in his voice seemed to disappear the moment he found out the wouldn't be sitting with each other on the train.

"Well, I suppose we should go then." Said Ron.

They arrived at platform 9 ¾ at 10:30. In efforts to avoid Harry and Ron for as long as possible, Hermione headed off to her compartment. She opened the door and sat down on the bench. She pulled out one of her books from her bag and began to read. She was so into her book she didn't hear to door open, or a person walk inside.

"Well, well, well. It if isn't the bookworm Granger as Head Girl. What a surprise there."

That voice sounded familiar. She was so shocked that someone was in the room that she stood up quickly and hit her head hard. The last thing that she remembered seeing was someone with platinum blonde hair and silvery eyes before blacking out.

**a/n, well let me know if the story is good so far so I know if it is worth continuing. If I do continue it the chapters should be longer then this one, but this is just an intro type chapter. Please review. **


	2. The Truth

**a/n: Okay, sorry it took so long to update. I was having trouble with the ending of this chapter. I hope its good though. Thanks to all the people who reviewed, it good to know that you are enjoying my story. Well here's chapter 2. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**

**The Truth**

When Hermione woke up, Draco Malfoy was sitting across from her doing last minute homework. It was then that she realized she was lying on the floor.

"Gee Malfoy, I can see you put a lot of effort into moving me."

"Well, I wouldn't want to strain myself too much."

"Thanks for that. Anyway, how long was I out for?"

"Not that long, maybe 5 minutes or so. I would have gotten help or something but I was really tired."

"Oh, I feel the live. So when does Professor McGonagall get here to explain our duties?"

"I don't –"

"Never mind, someone is coming."

"Good you both are here and acting civil towards each other."

Professor McGonagall just walked into their compartment. Yet what she said had make Hermione think. Did she and Malfoy just have a normal conversation? Sure it was cold and emotionless, but they just spent more than a minute in each other's presence and not one insult was exchanged. She was so lost in thought that she didn't realize that McGonagall was talking to her.

"Miss Granger, are you listening?"

"Oh, sorry professor, I was lost in thought."

"As I was saying, we are trying something new this year. The Head Boy and Girl will be sharing a dorm room. You will share a common room, a bathroom, and a small kitchen and dining area."

Hermione was in shock. She looked over to Malfoy to see how he was taking the news. She expected him to be in outrage, to make a big stink about how he would have to share a dorm with mudblood Granger. She was surprised to see he was expressionless. It was then that she realized how much he had changes.

His platinum blonde hair was no longer gelled back, but hung loosely in his face. His silver eyes were no longer hard and cold, but had a softened look to them. She knew it probably had something to do with his father dying. She wondered if he was even sad about it or not. She also noticed that while he was still pale, he had a great body. She assumed it was from quidditch practice over the summer and during the year. It was then that Hermione realized that she had been staring at Malfoy for over a minute. She snapped out of her thoughts and asked McGonagall a question.

"Professor, why are they trying it this year?"

"House Unity." She said simply. "Anyway I must get going. You and Mr. Malfoy are to remain in here until we arrive at Hogwarts. Your common room is one the 4th floor behind the portrait of the lion and the serpent. The password is 'GrangerMalfoy'. Don't complain Mr. Malfoy…" Malfoy had opened his mouth in protest. "… its alphabetical."

After that she left the two heads by themselves. There was one of those awkward silences before Malfoy began to talk."

"So Granger, what do you say we call a truce. I don't want to risk being hexed in my own bedroom at night."

"So this is for your own safety?"

"Pretty much."  
"I guess we should get along since we have to live together and do patrols together. Fine, truce."

The next five minutes or so were spent in silence. Unfortunately this silence forced me to think about Harry and Ron and their absence from my life. I guess I had a sad look on my face because soon Malfoy was talking again.

"Why the long face Granger?"

"Why do you care Malfoy?"

"I hate being around a depressed woman." (**a/n I know this is weird because he taunted her, but bear with me here.)**

"It's nothing really important. Why do you look so distracted? You are just as distant as I am."

"I'll tell you my story if you well me yours."

"So after five minutes of truce we are now best friends? Now we will be swapping stories and sharing secrets?"

"No, I don't say that. Sometimes it can help if you tell someone who won't hold back on what they think; someone who is afraid to speak the harsh truth."

"Wow, Malfoy, since when did you become so caring?"

"Well, I'll tell you if you tell me."

"Fine, but you go first."

"Alright then, I guess it all starts with the reason I was the way I was. Simple. That was because of my father; because of the way I was taught. I was taught that I was always right and because I was a 'pureblood' that I was better then everyone else. But that changed at the end of our first year."

"Why, what caused you to change?"

"Well, you did. You contradicted the very thing that my father had taught me. You, Hermione Granger, a muggle born, someone with 10 less years in the wizarding world, beat me in every class in our first year. I didn't understand; I was raised to believe that you were not as good as me. I was taught that the only was that was possible would be if you were cheating or something like that."

"But I wasn't!"

"I know Hermione, but that's not the point. The point was I was being manipulated into believing that muggle borns were inferior."

Hermione noticed that he used her first name. 'He must have not noticed' she thought. 'it must just have come out.'

"My entire life until recently was run by my father. I didn't have any real friends even. Just my dad's friend's sons. The only real friend I have is Blaise. He stuck by me all these years. But you, you have two best friends, who would do anything for you. That is something that I have always been jealous of. You have Potter and Weasley."

"Me? If Harry and Ron are such good friends, the how come they have been avoiding me all summer. Lying to me and pretending that I wouldn't find out. If I had such great friends then how come my summer was spent alone praying that my friends would send me a letter inviting me to stay with them or hang out for a day?"

Before Hermione knew it she was crying. All the tears she held in over the summer, over the past 6 years, all at once. She was crying harder then she ever cried in her life, and yet it was a relief. With each falling tear, she felt better, stronger.

And then, quite suddenly, Draco Malfoy was hugging her, trying to comfort her. He held her tight as she cried all her feelings out and released the pain she had been keeping in for so long.

"I feel like they have only used me for my homework and to help them on their adventures. In a way, I am like you. Only Ginny is my true friend."

"Wow, I never knew there was so much drama in the Golden Trio."

"Well, I'm glad you're happy with this." She snapped back.

"Just kidding. Well Hermione, I can tell this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"Uhh… sure."

Just then the train began to slow down and Hermione and Draco began to change into their robes. Hermione then realized that she would have to face Harry and Ron now that it was almost dinner time. She began to feel sick again.

'Well its now or never' she thought as she stepped off the train.

"Hermione!"

**a/n: I know they never really finished their conversation, but they will eventually. Please review. **


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